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20 January 2003 by Lloyd Njue in Nairobi On a Monday morning in the outskirts of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, a six-year-old orphan boy grabs an oversized jerrycan and heads for the "nearby" seasonal stream, which lies two kilometres away. Ahead of some 50 fellow orphans, Kevin Wachira hauls the jerrycan, now full of water, back to the Napaste Hemen Boys' Centre, the orphanage he has called home for the last two years. Once back, the boys, sweating despite the morning chill, pool the water into one huge trough, with each taking care to leave a little for his morning wash. The rest of this treasured but rare commodity goes to the kitchen, where it will be used to make the communal midday meal. A little is reserved to allow the dormitory a much needed mopping. This tortuous routine was repeated every day of the week, until the International Federation's regional Water and Sanitation team intervened with a unique project that changed the lives of the orphans and their institution. "It is very good living here because I don't have to go to the river in the morning", says Wachira, as he turns on a tap just outside the dormitory block of the home, which is run by the non-governmental organisation, Door International. His friend, five-year old Abraham Iloro agrees: "We can now play without care of getting dirty because we have all the water we need." Oblivious to who supplied the water, the boys were referring to the rainwater harvesting project, in which the dormitory roofs were fitted with gutters and drainpipes, which carry water into a 10,000-litre storage tank. Then, using a small electric pump, the water is lifted into a 3,600-litre tank mounted on a five metre-high iron tower, which is then connected to a distribution network leading to the dormitories, laundry, kitchen, dinning hall and toilets. On average, the area receives an annual rainfall of 2400 mm spread over two rainy seasons. The harvested water is adequate for the needs of the orphanage, and there is even a surplus to irrigate a vegetable garden cultivated by the boys. The project, which is the talk of this sleepy village in the agriculturally rich Kiambu District, became a reality thanks to Water and Sanitation staff volunteering to give up their weekend time. The funding was provided by Norwegian Church Aid. "This project has managed to drive home the point that being Red Cross staff does not stop us from doing volunteer work. We can definitely make a difference by volunteering our time and our resources for worthy causes", says Robert Fraser the Federation's Regional Health and Care Coordinator. Together with the water supply, the volunteers also designed a standby power supply system which offers backup to a local electricity supply that has previously been dogged by power failure. The installation of four solar panels has enabled the orphanage to cut down considerably on power costs, as solar-based energy is almost five times cheaper than other conventional sources. To further enhance hygiene, two new pit latrines have been created, complete with an outside tap to allow the boys to wash their hands. Fraser says volunteers from the Kenya Red Cross will soon start training the boys and the 12 orphanage staff on personal hygiene. "The Red Cross has done a marvellous job," says Lucas Munyaka, a social worker and teacher at the home. "This is something to be remembered for a long, long time." He recalls earlier times when the life-saving stream would dry up, forcing the orphanage to buy water at exorbitant prices from private borehole owners. "In such circumstances, we used to spend up to 100 Kenyan shillings (US$ 1.2) daily on water alone. Now we can use that badly-needed money to run the home", says Munyaka. Related links: Kenya: appeals, updates and reports Water and Sanitation work International Year of Fresh Water Make a donation |
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